screen resolution

i'm designing my personal website as part of my course work. i have been told that i must use a webpage 955 by 600 (1024 by 768) aparently the people looking at my website (graphic designers) will have the latest equpment and their screens will be set at this size. when i ask for this size in dreamweaver my computer says "the chosen size wont fit your screen. the screen size will be used". i can change the screen resolution to 1024 by 768 in display properties but then all the icons go small. i'm wondering if you can set the resolution to 1024 by 768 but keep the desktop the same size. its a bit annoying trying to design a site when everythings really small.

Not meant as a "clever" reply - this is what higher resolutions are primarily meant for.

A resolution or 1024x768 is appropriate for a 17" monitor - but not for a 15" - and some people would prefer 800x600 even on a 17" monitor. If you use a resolution too high for the monitor size, then you get what you see - objects and text are too small

Normally web pages should be designed to be readily viewable properly any resolution/monitor size. I understand that you may have been given specifications as part of your course work, but you can always "think independantly", as long as you can give a justification for doing so. Any web designer should, IMHO, be primarily concerned in making pages viewable to average users on average systems - unless you have been tasked to produce a web page for a very specific audience (such as graphics designers!). Graphics designers will probably be used to working on 19-21" monitors, by the way.

my screen is a 17 inch moniter. so are you saying it shouldn't look small on a mointer this size or should it. and the macs at college are set at 1024x768 but they are only 15 inch moniters and their icons/windows etc look fine

I still think that by far the vast majority of computers have 15 inch, or less, screens. There are millions of domestic computers have been and still being sold with screens of this size. If the domestic market is the one you're aiming at, your screen resolution should be set to accomodate your audience. Simlarly, for a specialist audience, you should an appropriately sized screen

We don't do a lot of web work here but when we do, we have a 15 inch monitor to ensure that everything behaves itself and looks right without loads of horizontal scrolling and other fiddling about to make the screen readable. Likewise, we do sites designed for car dealerships - these people will have large screen to create impressions - we have a 42 inch plasma screen to ensure these look right. If you're selling on your site, it's particularly important to have the core information immediately visible and create an impact otherwise your prospective customer is going to go elsewhere.

N.B. I do think it very unfair on whoever set your project to say it is for graphic designers. These people can be THE most critical and will want to pick holes in every minute detail. I know, I am one.